


Again!

by maytheshipbewithyou221b



Category: Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Addition to the end, Because it is more than a crush!, F/M, Gen, Mostly everyone's reaction to you went into the Chamber AGAIN!, Then Dom/Kel setup at the end, lady knight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-19 03:28:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9416057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maytheshipbewithyou221b/pseuds/maytheshipbewithyou221b
Summary: "You went into the Chamber again?!?""I needed to talk to it!"Later:Matchmaking again: Kel setup everyone in Squire. Raoul isn't sure if it's revenge or returning a favor, but a debt is a debt and it's time he paid this one back.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For whatever reason, I always tried to imagine everyone else's responses to the Chamber's interactions with Kel in the books. So I wrote it. And will be adding Kel/Dom stuff later because I think they'd be cute, even if Tamora Pierce says it's just a crush that amounts to nothing.

Merric wasn’t sure what surprised the smugglers more: the number of people he brought with him or that, according to him, there’d be more in a week so. Still, they’d managed to get across the Vassa efficiently, everyone making it across in one night. 

Once across, it took them a hazardous day to find a Tortallan patrol and a tense few moments to explain their situation. Apparently, the metal killing devices had collapsed the previous day, which was probably the only reason Merric wasn’t hauled off in chains. Still, once they reached Northwatch, the survivors from New Hope were led to food and beds while Merric was pulled into General haMinch’s office to face not only the General, but Lord Raoul and Lord Wyldon as well.

He swallowed hard.

They stared at him for a long time. It was very uncomfortable. They seemed unable to know what to make of his presence.

So he decided to break the ice. “I heard the Killing Devices are no longer working,” he said, trying to sound more casual than he felt, “That means Kel and the others must have succeeded, right?”

Raoul and Wyldon looked noticeably relieved. Merric’s presence didn’t mean the deaths of everyone else who’d gone on the mission.

Still, General haMinch wanted more of an explanation. “Sir Merric, I need a more complete report than that.”

So Merric described their intentions, their journey, and the rescue that led to his separation from the original group of warriors.

When he was done, General haMinch leaned back in his seat. “So you’re telling me that you all broke your commander’s orders to follow the Lady Knight to rescue her people and find and kill Blayce the Gallan?”

After a moment’s hesitation, glancing at the two men behind the general before returning his gaze to the haMinch, Merric replied, “Yes.”

“And you did this despite the fact the Keladry of Mindelan had no resources and would likely get you killed?”

“Kel’s saved my skin more times than I can count. I’d follow her anywhere,” Merric replied without thought.

“Kel tends to inspire that kind of loyalty,” Raoul elaborated.  
“Still,” the General, who hadn’t spent much time with the Lady Knight, argued, “Should I forgive a group of traitors because they were loyal to some foolish girl who just ran off after some refugees and happened to end up helping us ended up helping us?”

“And saving the lives of at the very least the civilians,” Raoul replied, “Oh and destroying the very war machines which decide who wins this war. Yes, you should send the all to Traitor’s Hill.”

“Kel has a good head on her shoulders,” Lord Wyldon added, “she’s just incredibly loyal to those in her care. She probably left with a plan to make the most of this detour to benefit the realm and to destroy the mage.”

“On that front, she wasn’t given much of a choice,” Merric muttered, still audible despite his efforts.

“What was that Sir Merric?” the General demanded, “I wanted a full report Sir Merric, I don’t like soldiers leaving out information.”

Merric paused, sending a quick prayer to the gods that they’d believe him. Finally, feeling all three men’s eyes on him, he explained, “Kel, well actually Tobe her boy and then Kel, let it slip that the Chamber of the Ordeal had been compelling her, sending her dreams and visions, about Blayce and how her path would cross with his and she would be the best choice to destroy him for months before the attack on New Hope. Apparently for a long enough time that Kel went to talk to it before any of us left Corus. I mean, she went into the Chamber a second time, she said she was allowed to talk about it since it wasn’t the Ordeal, in order to talk with whatever god or force is in the Chamber and it’s been telling her that she would have a clear path to Blayce and would have the best chance to defeat him for all that time. She was just more frustrated it couldn’t just tell her where he is so she could’ve ridden off to kill him, but still, she talked to the Chamber.”

“Yes,” the General stopped him, unable to listen to the young knight’s disbelief for another moment, “She went in a second time of her own volition.” Not that he necessarily believed this story, but gods were strange beings and he made no claims to understanding how they work.

There was a long silence as they all mulled this over.

Raoul was the first to speak. “She did ask me, before we left Corus, about if I’d heard about anyone entering the Chamber a second time. She said she needed to talk to it.” The other men looked at him in surprise.

Another moment passed before Wyldon shook it off. “God or no god the killing devices are destroyed. I think that proves these warriors are not traitors, just a little misguided in how procedure works.”

General Vanget, preferring this line of conversation, agreed, assigning Wyldon to disciplining the young knights starting with Sir Merric.

Still, when all were dismissed, they left wondering about the Chamber. Raoul planned to ask Alanna and Numair a few questions. Merric tried to suppress memories of his idea or any imaginings of just what would drive someone to go back in. General Vanget leaned back in his seat and hoped no other gods would interfere in his war. Wyldon wondered how Keladry, the pupil who was probably most similar to him, ended up as a tool for the gods. Sensible people like Keladry and himself just didn’t get caught up in that kind of thing.

Still, he would probably see her soon. There’d be plenty of time to see if she was different then.


End file.
